The Nigerian government has imposed a ban on the use of foreign beverages at official functions and in government offices. The ban covers tea, coffee, biscuits, fruit juices, water and soft drinks.
The directive was given by Nigerian President Umaru Yar,Adua at the official launch of the Made-in-Nigeria products campaign on Tuesday in Abuja.
Yar’Adua, who was represented by Nigeria’s Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, also directed that Nigeria’s foreign aid to other countries must utilize Nigerian products like “Nigerian assembled vehicles and Nigerian made blankets.”
“Henceforth, all government contractors must give priority to the use of Nigerian products whose quality is certified by relevant regulatory agencies of government.
“All uniforms and boots of the armed forces ; army, navy, air force, police as well as para-military, customs, immigration, prisons and civil defense corps, road safety etc, must be sourced from Nigerian manufacturers certified by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON),’’ Yar’Adua added.
Yar’Adua noted that the policy measures were to boost industrial production, check imports and revive the nation’s ailing industrial sector.
He said that the campaign to buy ’Made-in-Nigeria’ products was one of the measures meant to counter the negative effects of the global economic crisis on the manufacturing sector.
Yar’Adua reiterated the government’s commitment to the revival of the industrial sector, particularly the textile industry that used to be the most vibrant of the economy.
“With a population of over 140 million people, Nigeria’s market is big enough to sustain a bubbling domestic industrial sector if only Nigerians look inwards at their local products.
“Unfortunately many industries had to close shop due to lack of patronage of their products by Nigerians.
“We must therefore, re-orientate ourselves to value what we produce in order to develop a strong and virile industrial base,’’ he said. He appealed to the organized private sector to demonstrate a high sense of consumer patriotism by following the footsteps of the government in their procurement programs.
In his comments, Chief Achike Udenwa, Nigeria’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, called on the government to also patronize ’Made-in-Nigeria’ products.
“For this campaign to succeed, a strong political will is needed to back it up by patronising ’Made-in-Nigeria’ products in government’s procurement programs.
“This way, the general public will be sensitized to embracing the campaign,” he said.
Udenwa said that the nation’s leadership, including both the executive and the legislature, should buy and be seen to be using ’Made-in-Nigeria’ products.
He said the target of the campaign was to see that Nigerians valued and took pride in Nigerian products.
He said this could only be achieved if Nigerian textiles as well as other manufactured goods were used by Nigerians in their day-to-day lives.
Source African Press Agency
